I have an 18 month old son and his favorite word is “No”, he has a fairly extensive vocabulary for an 18 month old but I’m not sure he can say the word “Yes”. Oh well, that’s a topic for a future blog.

We have been fortunate that our son has been a good sleeper since the time he was born but a couple of nights a week he wakes up around midnight ready to play.

I have noticed there’s a pattern to the nights he wakes up and the pattern involves food. If he eats a good supper, has a snack before bed, drinks a cup of milk before falling asleep, he sleeps all night. If any of those things don’t happen, he’s going to wake up.

I try to make sure he eats a good meal at supper time but it’s more difficult than you might think to get a toddler to eat when he doesn’t want to. I’ve tried putting food on a spoon and making airplane or choo choo noises, I’ve tried tickling him and shoving food in his mouth when he laughs, I’ve tried hiding food he should eat in food he wants to eat, I’ve tried feeding him from my plate because for some reason food on my plate appears more appealing to him even though most of the time we are eating the same thing, I’ve tried “drive by feeding” by letting him run around the kitchen like a mad man and sticking a spoon in front of him when he runs by, I’ve tried rubbing food on his tightly closed lips hoping that he’ll stick his tongue out the slightest bit to taste the food smeared on his lips and realize that he might enjoy the night’s menu.

None of it really works all that well and in the end the only satisfaction I get is an opportunity to hear the word “No” for the nine hundred and thirty-seventh time in a day!

I try to be an optimist and look for lessons in things and I’ve learned a lesson from my son.

We are all told no at times for one reason or another but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying, especially if what we are trying to do is important.

To me, a good nights sleep is really important!

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About Craig Thompson

I am a young professional with two great sons, and I work in the healthcare setting. I am employed in hospital administration and serve as Chief Operating Officer at Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare in Clinton, Missouri.
These are challenging and exciting times in healthcare and my blog will focus on healthcare, raising boys or being raised by boys, and living in mid America.